A Place of Solitude
by Saturdaychick
Summary: In which Erik helps Charles Garnier to solve a problem.
**A Place of Solitude**

As work continued on the Paris Opera House, Charles Garnier relied more and more on Erik's expertise and in particular in how he saw his way around a possible tragedy, the great water seepage in what would become the 5th cellar. Erik, working closely with Garnier, to the displeasure of several apprentices, configured a series of pumps which, over the course of several long months managed to get the problem contained and then he designed a double-walled cement and concrete foundation which he requested be sealed with bitumen, a water-proof tarry substance. This proved a great success.  
Charles was extremely grateful to Erik, and often asked him back to his home, where his wife, Louise, was very kind to him and treated him as one of the family. Though they had a room set aside for Erik's use, and he did occasionally stay over, he preferred to return to Nadir's apartments where he felt more at home. Nadir had acquired a man-servant, a Persian man named Darius, who was discrete when it came to shopping for items Erik requested, such as custom made shirts and the black dress clothes he always wore, though he had relented and wore dark denim work clothes on the site at Charles's insistence in concern for Erik's comfort. These Darius procured for Erik, as well.

When it came to appearing in public, Erik was still reticent. He was haunted by his mistreatment as a child, the ridicule he suffered at the hands of the gypsies and the jealous mutterings of the architect apprentices. He always wore a mask. Even in Charles and Louise's company. Even with Nadir, his oldest friend.

As Erik lay in bed after a long day at the site, exhausted, but the good exhaustion of having worked hard physically and mentally, his mind raced as he tried to calm himself. Nadir had acquired a piano for Erik's use, and Erik was tempted to rise and play something to relax, but didn't want to wake his friend. He finally rose and went to stand at his drawing board. Something was haunting him about the 5th cellar.

He felt something in his heart that drew him to that depth of darkness. It gave him a sense of peace. He wondered if he could put into action his idea, the idea of creating a living space down there, a place where no one cared to enter and when the Opera House towered above it, sometime in the future, he would be close to the world of music and dance, a world he was always drawn to, and would give him access to all the performances he would ever care to see. It would also give him a retreat from the world above, the chaos of the city, the crude comments of the workmen at the building site, a place where he could concentrate on writing and playing music. He began sketching.

The next morning, he paused to accept a cup of strong coffee from Darius, and then put the finishing touches on his design. He smiled to himself. He would do it. He would put his plan into action. The question was… with or without Charles's knowledge? Nadir accepted Erik's eccentricities. Charles tried to draw Erik out, make him more into the social being that he was, well, that he was forced to be because of his position.

Word of the troubles with Prussia drifted down to the work site. Napoleon lll was consumed with bringing France into a war against the threat of German unification.

War might delay the finish of the Opera House for months, if not years. 

Erik began to obsess over his plan. He had come across an old church in decline, its roof damaged by a fallen tree. In exploring it he found that it contained an almost intact Pipe organ. His imagination was spiraling out of control. He began to dismantle the organ bit by bit at night, riding his stallion Isra and carting the bits back to the apartments. He could barely contain his excitement.

This kept him occupied as political unrest continued which eventually lead to Napoleon lll's capture and exile and the siege of Paris and its occupation. It would take 14 years for the Opera to reach completion.

Nadir, Darius, and the Garniers survived, partly due to Erik's ingenuity in traveling at night, far and wide, a silent phantom on his black steed, procuring supplies for their survival. They did not starve and for a short time, Charles and Louise lived in finished, covered rooms of the Opera, while bombs were launched at the city.

By the time the Opera House was ready to staff and fill with dancers and musicians, Erik had created a get-away filled with all the comforts of a home… plus a full pipe organ ready for him to create his masterpiece.


End file.
